Mark Teixeira Speaks His Mind

Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York had a chance to sit down with Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira the other day.  Despite all of the naysayers, Teixeira tells Marchand not to count the Yankees out just yet.

"We're the underdogs this year," Teixeira said. "I love it. No one is picking us right now. Everyone in here should be looking forward to winning a championship. When you put on the pinstripes that is exactly what your goal should be every year. I think everyone understands that just because the public may not be picking us it doesn't mean we don't believe it in here."

While it might seem strange for anyone to call the Yankees, a team with a payroll pushing $200M, an underdog, I think the description fits.  For some reason, everyone seems to have left the Yankees for dead.  To an extent, I see their point.  After all, the Red Sox made key improvements by adding Crawford, Gonzalez, Wheeler, and Jenks.  The Yankees signed Rafael Soriano, but lost out on acquiring their primary target, Cliff Lee.  Still, it's never a good idea to count the Yankees out.  They're like the serial killer in a horror movie.  Until you've killed them twice (yes, twice), there's always a chance they could come back. 

Teixeira didn't stop there.  He also had something to say about the recent speculation about the Yankees making a move for Albert Pujols next winter.

"I'm not going anywhere," Teixeira said as Yankees position players reported on Saturday. "I got that no-trade for a reason. I'm going to be buried in these pinstripes. You know what, I would be disappointed if the fans of New York weren't looking to make our team better, but they've just got to know I'm not leaving."

Well, that pretty much settles that.  If Teixeira says he's not going anywhere, I tend to believe him.  Really, it doesn't make any sense for him to waive his no trade clause.  He plays for the premier franchise in major league baseball, and is all but guaranteed a legitimate shot a championship every season.  How many players can say that?   While playing for the Cardinals, in a tremendous baseball town with a storied history, has it's benefits, Teixeira would have to live with following a legend in Pujols.  That's an impossible act to follow.  Furthermore, Cardinal fans may eventually learn to love him, but he'll ever achieve Pujols status.  In lieu of a huge financial incentive, I don't see any reason Teixeira should leave New York.  The man has it made.